Future:Content Review

Last Wednesday, we hosted the first It’s Nice That conference. Future:Content dealt with ways we engage with, present, and define content, and the day centred around the views and opinions of 11 industry specialists working across a number of platforms. A book that both documents and reacts to the day’s content will be published in the near future (look out for details soon) but until then here is an incredibly quick-fire round-up.

Anna Gerber and Britt Iverson (Visual Editions) revealed their aims to produce books that create new experiences, and how they want to turn book publishing in its head. Russell Davies spoke animatedly about the deadening effect of screens, and reiterated the necessity of physical platforms. Sanky celebrated silence, advocated kinesthetic learning and spoke about the importance of real experience.

Francesca Panetta introduced us to the Hackney Podcast and offered valuable insight into the future potential of audio content. Morgwyn Rimmel, director of the School of Life, and faculty member Cathy Haynes asked the question: Are we having enough fun?, before making everyone realise they probably weren’t and probably should be!

Deyan Sudjic, Director of the Design Museum, took his tie off mid-talk (seriously) and questioned, so articulately, the relationship between content and form. Adam Gee, Channel 4, showed us this video, before reiterating the importance of “shared experience as an event,” a subject Deyan touched upon.

Phil Clandillon and Steve Millbourne, Sony Music, presented recent projects with unrivaled verve and vigour, revealing a unique ability to have fun off the back of science. And, finally, Neville Brody (fresh from the student protest) emphasised the importance and necessity of creativity, and asked us all to question any decision that may lead to a cultural deficit.

Somerset’s House Studios’ first public programme has been announced. The programme, including events, performances, guest curations, critical discussions and artist-led trips, will launch next week with performance interventions from experimental performance groups Forest Fringe and Fuel Theatre.

Edited by independent curator of avant-garde art and film Mark Webber, new book Shoot Shoot Shoot: The First Decade of the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative 1966–76 follows radical collective the London Film-Makers Co-op from modest beginnings (a series of film screenings at Better Books bookshop) to becoming a more formalised work-sharing organisation boasting a distribution office, cinema space and film workshop housed first at the Drury Lane Arts Lab, then a string of run down buildings and squats in Camden and Kentish Town.

On Friday and Saturday, the UK’s “first annual fair for dealers in counter culture and independent producers of zines, prints, catalogues, vinyls and tapes” will take over old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch.

London Design Festival is one of Europe’s biggest celebrations of design, in all disciplines, and there are hundreds of events to see, from the landmark installations at the V&A and this year’s inaugural London Design Biennale, to smaller, hidden gems around the various districts: Shoreditch, Clerkenwell, Islington, Chelsea, Brompton, Brixton and Bankside. If you’re not sure where to start, you’re in luck because the It’s Nice That team has picked out the top ten exhibits you won’t want to miss.h3. What Ho! Andrzej Klimowski’s illustrations for P.G. Wodehouse
London Print Studio, 8 September – 12 November 2016

Whether it’s identity projects, graphics, print, animation, film or illustration you dig, we’ve picked out some wise nuggets and broken them into easy to read, bitesized chunks. These insights were gleaned from Offset festival’s inaugural London conference, which kicked off yesterday with some superb and inspiring speakers.

Gif parties, poster competitions, panel discussions and live performances – last week It’s Nice That took part in the annual Graphic Design Festival Scotland for the second year running. This year there were almost 3,500 poster entries from 83 countries, including work from Think Work Observe, Studio Mut, Eva-Maria Offerman, Lamm & Kirch, La Direction, Roosje Klap and Christophe Guard.